Erna Solberg Becomes Norway's Prime Minister As Conservatives Sweep Election
Norway’s Conservative party swept into office on Monday, ousting the ruling Labor Party in a landslide election. Led by Erna Solberg, the Conservatives may form a coalition government with Norway’s anti-immigration Progress Party, among others.
According to Reuters, the alliance between Conservatives, the Progress Party and two small centrist parties obtained 96 parliament seats on Monday, 11 seats more than needed for a majority. Labor party and its allies, by comparison, were left with just 72 seats at the end of the day. Solberg, 52, will become Norway’s second female prime minister, as well as the nation’s first Conservative prime minister since 1990.
"Today voters have given a historically strong victory for the center-right," Solberg said to her supporters in Oslo. "We will give this country a new government."
Current Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg plans to step down after delivering a final budget to parliament in October. Stoltenberg had previously served as prime minister for two terms and eight years.
Monday’s election was Norway’s first since extremist Anders Breivik’s 2011 shooting spree that left 77 people dead.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.